Diabetes (diabetes): symptoms, causes, and treatment

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Definition

What is diabetes mellitus?

Diabetes mellitus (or simply diabetes) is a chronic disease characterized by high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. This condition is also often referred to as diabetes or diabetes.

The sugar in the blood should be absorbed by the body's cells and then converted into energy. Insulin is a hormone whose job is to help the absorption of glucose in the body's cells to be processed into energy, as well as storing some glucose as an energy reserve.

If there is interference with insulin, a person is at high risk of developing diabetes. Diabetes can be caused by several conditions, such as:

• Lack of insulin production by the pancreas
• Impaired response of the body to insulin
• The influence of other hormones that inhibit insulin performance

If this condition is ignored and blood sugar levels are left high without control, diabetes can give birth to various dangerous complications.

Types of diabetes mellitus

Based on the three conditions, the causes are described in the study Introduction to Diabetes Mellitus There are several types of diabetes that are commonly experienced, namely:

1. Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder that causes damage to the cells that produce the hormone insulin in the pancreas. As a result, the body lacks insulin. Lack of insulin production can increase blood glucose levels.

Usually the symptoms of diabetes are more often detected at a younger age, especially in childhood or adolescence.

2. Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes. The condition is more common in adults, especially those over the age of 30.

This condition usually occurs because the ability to produce insulin is weakened or the body's ability to respond to insulin is reduced. Type 2 diabetes generally occurs because of lifestyle problems.

3. Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes is diabetes that only occurs in pregnant women. This condition can cause problems for both the mother and the baby if left untreated. If handled quickly properly, diabetes is usually completely cured after childbirth.

Signs & symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus?

Diabetes often does not show any symptoms at first. Many people are not aware that they have had diabetes mellitus for a long time because there are no disturbing symptoms.

Even so, the symptoms of type 1 diabetes usually appear faster than type 2, which tends to get worse slowly.

Here are some of the typical signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus that you need to know:

• Often feel thirsty or hungry
• Frequent urination, sometimes occurring every hour (polyuria)
• Weak, lethargic and powerless
• Frequent infections, such as skin, vaginal, thrush, or urinary tract infections
• Diabetes wounds are difficult to heal
• Blurred vision
• Itching of the skin, especially in the groin or vaginal area
• Weight loss suddenly

Other symptoms of diabetes that you should be aware of are:

• Nausea or vomiting
• Dry mouth
• The gums are often swollen and sore
• The feet are often sore, tingling, and numb
• Black patches and scales on the skin
• Sexual dysfunction, such as erectile disorders

Knowing the symptoms of diabetes mellitus early will make it easier for you to control this diabetes and prevent dangerous complications of diabetes.

When should I go to the doctor?

Most people often do not realize that they have diabetes mellitus until their blood sugar has jumped up and causes various severe symptoms.

That is why, if you experience the above symptoms or have any suspicions, do not hesitate to consult a doctor.

Cause

What are the causes of diabetes?

Before knowing what causes diabetes, you need to know how glucose is processed by the body. Glucose is very important for the body because it works as a source of energy for cells, tissues and organs, especially the brain.

Glucose actually comes from the food you eat, some of it will be used by the body's cells and some is stored as an energy reserve in the liver (liver). The type of glucose stored in the liver is called glycogen.

If you haven't eaten, your blood sugar levels will automatically be low. To prevent this, the liver will break down glycogen into glucose and balance blood sugar levels to remain normal.

The exact cause of diabetes mellitus, either type 1 or 2, is not certain. However, experts from the American Diabetes Association suspect that high blood sugar levels that cause several types of diabetes are caused by the following:

1. Autoimmune conditions

The autoimmune condition that causes diabetes mellitus occurs when your immune system attacks and destroys the cells of the pancreas which are responsible for producing the hormone insulin.

The hormone insulin plays an important role in the absorption of glucose by the body's cells. When there is a disturbance in the pancreas, insulin production can be reduced or even stopped. As a result, blood sugar levels increase because without the help of insulin, glucose cannot be properly absorbed by the body's cells.

2. Insulin resistance

Diabetes occurs because fat, liver, and muscle cells in the body do not respond to insulin properly. In the medical world, this condition is known as insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance itself makes the body's cells unable to accept blood sugar to be processed into energy. This signals that the body is deficient in sugar, thereby breaking down glycogen.

In the end, sugar will continue to accumulate and cause high blood sugar levels, which is called hyperglycemia.

Risk factors

What are the risk factors for this condition?

Risk factors are factors that make you more at risk of developing diabetes. Quoting on the Mayo Clinic page, here are various things that can put you at high risk of developing diabetes are:

• Family history
• Are exposed to certain viral infections
• The presence of damage to immune system cells (auto-antibodies)
• Vitamin D deficiency
• Are over 45 years of age
• Obesity aka overweight
• Lazy to move
• Family medical history
• Prediabetes
• Have a history of PCOS disease
• Have had gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy
• Have diabetes before pregnancy
• Have had a miscarriage or stillbirth (stillbirth) without knowing the cause
• Obesity before pregnancy
• Pregnant at the age of more than 30 years

Diagnosis

How do doctors diagnose this disease?

Some people may indeed experience symptoms of this disease so check with a doctor. However, some sufferers may experience no symptoms at all so that the disease is difficult to detect from the start.

Therefore, to make a diagnosis of diabetes, doctors do not only rely on the results of a regular physical examination. A number of tests are needed to determine the level of sugar or glucose in the blood.

Common tests performed to diagnose diabetes mellitus include:

• Instant blood sugar test: blood sugar test that can be done at any time.
• Fasting blood sugar test: blood sugar test that is done after fasting for approximately 8 hours.
• Oral blood sugar test: You need to fast overnight before doing this test, then the test is done 2 hours after you eat your first meal. Fixed high sugar levels after meals indicate you have diabetes.
• Glycohemoglobin or HbA1C test: HbA1C test conducted to find out the average value of blood sugar over the last few months. This test will usually be done regularly several times a year after testing positive for diabetes.

Treatment

How do you treat diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus is an incurable disease. However, that doesn't mean you can't live healthy.

Do not give up yet, because this disease can still be overcome and controlled. One of them, by undergoing diabetes treatment. The treatment depends on the type of diabetes you are experiencing, here are some options for diabetes medication:

1. Injection of insulin

When you have type 1 diabetes, the immune system will attack the cells that produce insulin so that the insulin levels produced by the body decrease. Therefore, doctors will usually prescribe insulin injections.

Several types of insulin that may be given include:

• Fast action insulin: works fast to lower blood sugar.
• Islow action insulin: the opposite of fast action, this insulin works slowly in lowering blood sugar levels.
• Intermediate action insulin: although the length of time to inject this type of insulin is relatively long, intermediate action insulin is usually combined with a faster action, so as to maximize the benefits of injection.

2. Medicines

People who experience diabetes are generally unable to use existing insulin properly.

Not everyone with diabetes needs medicine. In some cases, the doctor may simply ask the patient to make changes to his lifestyle to become healthier, such as exercising regularly and adopting a special diet.

Well, when these two methods are not enough, then the doctor will prescribe a number of diabetes mellitus drugs to help lower blood sugar. Some diabetes mellitus drugs that are often prescribed by doctors are:

• Metformin
• Pioglitazone
• Sulfonylurea class drugs
• Agonist
• Repaglinide
• Acarbose
• Sitagliptin
• Nateglinide

3. Live a healthy lifestyle

If you have type 2 diabetes, the main treatment that doctors usually recommend is changing your lifestyle. These lifestyle changes usually include a healthy diet and regular exercise. The diet that is applied can also be in the form of choosing foods that are low in sugar.

Home remedies

What can I do to control diabetes?

During treatment, your doctor will usually ask you to eat more nutritious, low-fat, and calorie foods to control blood sugar levels.

Likewise with regular exercise to achieve ideal body weight.

The following are guidelines for a healthy lifestyle for diabetes mellitus:

• Eat complex carbohydrates, such as brown rice, baked potatoes, oatmeal, whole grains, and other foods, such as nuts, fish, and lean meats.
• Replace your sugar with sweeteners that are low in calories and contain chromium to improve insulin function in the body.
• Increase consumption of green vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach and fruits that can be processed into juice without sugar.
• Doing moderate exercise suitable for diabetes patients, such as walking, swimming, cycling near your home.
• Exercise at least three times a week for about 30-45 minutes or 5-10 minutes at the beginning to then increase the intensity of the exercise gradually.
• Test your blood sugar before, during, and after exercise. Make sure your blood sugar is not lower than 70 mg / dL.
• Carry out several other activities to stay active, for example cleaning the house and gardening.
• Diligently check and record your blood sugar levels every day. Blood sugar levels in diabetes mellitus patients must be monitored regularly, namely before and after meals and at bedtime.

Prevention

How to prevent diabetes mellitus?

Type 1 diabetes is very difficult to prevent because it is closely related to genetic factors and autoimmune conditions. However, luckily type 2 diabetes can still be prevented.

How to prevent diabetes can be done by adopting a healthy lifestyle such as:

1. Have an ideal body weight

Obesity is one of the main risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Having a diet (diet) low in calories and fat is highly recommended as the best way to prevent diabetes.

2. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables

By eating fresh vegetables and fruits every day, you can reduce your risk of developing diabetes.

3. Reduce sugar consumption

To maintain normal blood sugar levels, you have to limit your sugar consumption, but that doesn't mean you are antigula. You can replace sugar with low-sugar sweeteners and control your daily calorie intake.

4. Active sports

Try to exercise at least 30 minutes a day 3-5 times a week to maximize the achievement of your ideal body weight target.

In addition to the four methods above, you may also regularly check with your doctor or check your blood sugar yourself at home if you have factors that put you at risk. That way, you can more quickly detect and anticipate diabetes.